Method for shedding in weaving machines and device for performing the method

ABSTRACT

In a weaving apparatus in which the warp threads are fed through healds or heddles to a beating-up reed, upon initiation of the formation of a shed by the healds, a spreader device is inserted into the shed between the healds and the reed to continue formation of the shed. The spreader device is a coil structure arranged to rotate, about an axis vertical to the shed, between a zero position, in which the coils are substantially clear of the shed threads, and an inserted position, in which the coils support the shed threads at their maximum separation.

United States Patent Porter 3,685,550 [451 Aug. 22, 1972 Astle 139/35 S u N m H mm L m P u P m A R m o m m mu m 27 m 9 0 mm P 57 2 mo. wo m ND I 6% N I mm mmm SC RA mw wmm P ma Mwm m Allan William Henry Porter, Lustmuehle/Aaargau, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Adolph Saurel' Ltd., Arbon/TG,

387,274 12/1923 Germany.......,.............l39/33 [72] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi Attorney-McGlew and Toren Switzerland [22] Filed: May 5, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 34,647 ABSTRACT In a weaving apparatus in which the fed through healds or heddles to a warp threads are beatlng-up reed,

30 F A ll 1 i 1 pp Priority Data upon initiation of the formation of a shed by the May16,1969 healds, a spreader device is inserted into the shed formation of the shed. The spreader device is a coil strucbetween the healds .and the reed to continue ture arranged to rotate, about an axis vertical to the shed, between a 'zero position, in which the coils are substantially clear of the shed threads, and an inserted position, inwhich the coils support the shed threads at their maximum separation.

5 3 5M wnn J mm mn WW5 ""5 mmw M mmm C mmm n m m m .m "uh e R L M l 0 d 5mm UIF 1]] 1 2 00 6 555 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Chain, 2 Drawing Figures 38,929 6/1863 Hensel et a]. ................l39/55 Patented Aug. 22, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALLAN W. H. PORTER Patented Aug. 22, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIII NTOR. ALLAN W. H. PORTER BY Me Elm AT 0R N EYS METHOD FOR SHEDDING IN WEAVING MACHINES AND DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART When weaving in known looms, the warp threads are controlled by healds or heddles operated by tappets, dobbies or Jacquard mechanism, to divide the warp threads as desired into two planes at the beating-up edge of the fabric, weft threads being inserted between the two planes.

This well known type of shedding has various disadvantages. For a specific shed opening, the healds, which are located at different distances from the beating-up edge of the fabric, must travel different distances in order to produce a clean shed. This results in substantial and differing tensions of the warp threads. There is a greater movement than necessary of the healds, by reason of the acceleration thereof, as well as for the purpose of reducing the warp thread tension in step I with the shed forming oscillating beam which, among other things, can be an impediment to a desired increase in the speed of operation of the looms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to weaving and more particularly, to a novel and improved method of and apparatus for forming a shed in looms.

In the method of the present invention, the formation of a shed is initiated by healds and is continued by a spreader link device inserted into the sheds between the healds and the reed.

In the apparatus of the invention, a spreader link device is incorporated in a loom and is adapted to be inserted into a shed, between the healds and the reed, after initiation of the shed formation by the healds, to continue the shed formation.

Preferably, the spreader link device is a coil structure rotatable from a zero position about an axis vertical to the shed, in which the coils are substantially clear of the shed threads, to an inserted position, in which the coils support the shed threads at their maximum separation. The device is operated directly upon initiation of the shed forming operation by the healds, and is returned to its zero position before the shed is neutralized.

The loom may have a series of the spreader link devices spaced transversely across the warp.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved method of shed formation in looms.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for forming sheds in looms.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a method and apparatus in which, immediately upon initiation of shed formation by healds, a spreader device is inserted into the shed to complete the formation of the shed.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a method and apparatus including a plurality of spreader link devices spaced transversely across the warp.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a method and apparatus by means of which the speed of operation of looms can be increased.

For an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an oscillatable or rotatable spreader link device on a loom, the device being shown in its zero position at that time in the weaving process when shed formation has just been initiated through movement of the healds; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the spreader link device in its inserted position supporting the shed threads.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a woven strip of cloth, having a width equal to that of the spreader link device, is indicated at 1, with the beating-up edge of the strip of cloth 1 being indicated at 2. A cut-off part of the beating-up reed is indicated at 3, and 4 and 5 indicate the outer warp threads of the upper and lower sheds, respectively.

In accordance with the invention, a spreader device is incorporated with the loom, and comprises a strong wire coil structure 6 having one end immovably fixed in a pinion 7 which meshes with a reciprocable toothed rack 8. Rack 8 is operated by known means, which have not been illustrated, and is mounted within the loom framework, and pinion 7 is rotatably mounted on the loom framework. The other bearing end of coil 6 is rotatably positioned in a bearing plate 9 secured to the loom framework. The components 6, 7, 8 and 9 form an assembly constituting the spreader link.

Wire coil 6 is so bent that, from a bent back part or bend 10, intermediate the height of the shed, there extend two wire sections 11 and 12 lying in the same vertical plane, sections 11 and 12 diverging vertically from each other. Wire sections 13 and 14 extend from the divergent ends of sections 11 and 12, respectively, in a spiral formation and from the other ends of sections 13 and 14, there extend straight horizontal wire sections 15 and 16, respectively. The spreader link, as thus assembled, is located between reed 3 and the healds or heddles 17 and 18.

Dependent upon the width of the cloth to be woven, several such spreader links may be arranged side by side at uniform spacings, as indicated by the bearing apertures 19 in bearing plate 9, so that each spreader link covers a respective part of the weaving width. That is to say that the radial extent of each spreader link is, at a minimum, half the spacing of the spreader links from each other.

The device operates in a manner which will now be described.

At the beginning of the shed formation, healds 17 and 18 have moved a certain distance, so that the distance a between the eyes, which is formed by the warp threads of the upper shed and the lower shed, is sufficiently great for the wire vertex 10 at the junction of wire sections 11 and 12 to be introduced into the just produced shed opening. Such introduction is effected by a drive, which has not been shown, synchronously controlled by the shedding mechanism or Jacquard mechanism, and which actuates pinion 7 through rack 8 to rotate pinion 7. The effect of such rotation is that the wedge, constituted by the bend 10 and the diverging wire sections 11 and 12 and the respective connected wire sections 13 and 14, can be inserted between the upper and lower sheds to spread out the corresponding warp threads to the maximum shed opening.

In this'position, the warp threads will be supported by the straight horizontal wire sections 15 and 16, as illustrated in FIG. 2, which position, in relation to beat ing-up edge 2 is such that the warp threads of the upper shed and those of the lower shed lie in respective single planes. After the insertion of the weft, the motion of spreader link 6 is reversed to retract the spreader from the shed, and healds 17 and 18 also return to their original positions. Spreader link 6 should obtain its zero position, shown in FIG. 1,.at the latest when the shed has been neutralized.

' While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be un-' derstood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. In a method of forming a shed,-in a loom in whic warp threads are fed through shed-forming healds to a reed with the formation of the shed being initiated by the healds and the shed formation being continued to completion by inserting a spreader into the shed a between the healds and the reed to spread the threads of the shed: the improvement comprising the step of oscillating the spreader, about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the weave, from a zero position, in which it is substantially clear of, and external to, the shed threads, into an inserted position, in which it is within the shed and spreads the shed threads to their maximum spacing; and oscillating the spreader back to its zero position in advance of neutralization of the shed.

2. In a method of forming a shed, as claimed in claim 1, the step of moving the healds equal'distances.

3. In apparatus for forming a shed, in a loom in which warp threads are fed through shed-forming healdsto a 1.

reed, and of the type including at least one spreader link device mounted for insertion into ashed between I the healds and the reed and means operable, afi'er in itiation of the shed formation by the healds, to inserteach device into the shed to continue the shed formaclaim 3,'said coil structure comprising firstcoil sections diverging vertically from each other. fromla bight therebetween and in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion into the shed, and respective horizontal coil sections extendingfrom the divergent ends of said first coil sections and arranged to engage and support the shed threads at their maximum separation.

5. In apparatus for forming a shed, as claimed in claim 4, said coil structure comprising a pair of vertically spaced and vertically aligned pivots, one engaged in a bearing supported onthe loom and the other fixed t ini ble on I md m 832?; i! t8 3, n%2afi5%%ce intoilie fied ifim niil'li a reciprocable rack meshing with said pinion.

. 6. In apparatus for forming a shed, as claimed in claim 3, a plurality of said spreader link devices spaced transversely of the loom.

t l l It 

1. In a method of forming a shed, in a loom in which warp threads are fed through shed-forming healds to a reed with the formation of the shed being initiated by the healds and the shed formation being continued to completion by inserting a spreader into the shed between the healds and the reed to spread the threads of the shed: the improvement comprising the step of oscillating the spreader, about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the weave, from a zero position, in which it is substantially clear of, and external to, the shed threads, into an inserted position, in which it is within the shed and spreads the shed threads to their maximum spacing; and oscillating the spreader back to its zero position in advance of neutralization of the shed.
 2. In a method of forming a shed, as claimed in claim 1, the step of moving the healds equal distances.
 3. In apparatus for forming a shed, in a loom in which warp threads are fed through shed-forming healds to a reed, and of the type including at least one spreader link device mounted for insertion into a shed between the healds and the reed and means operable, after initiation of the shed formation by the healds, to insert each device into the shed to continue the shed formation to completion: the improvement comprising each spreader link device being a coil structure mounted for oscillation about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the weave between a zero position, in which the coils are substantially clear of the shed threads, and an inserted position in which these coils support the shed threads at their maximum separation.
 4. In apparatus for forming a shed, as claimed in claim 3, said coil structure comprising first coil sections diverging vertically from each other from a bight therebetween and in a direction opposite to the direction of insertion into the shed, and respective horizontal coil sections extending from the divergent ends of said first coil sections and arranged to engage and support the shed threads at their maximum separation.
 5. In apparatus for forming a shed, as claimed in claim 4, said coil structure comprising a pair of vertically spaced and vertically aligned pivots, one engaged in a bearing supported on the loom and the other fixed coaxially to a pinion rotatable on the loom; said means operable to insert said device into the shed comprising a reciprocable rack meshing with said pinion.
 6. In apparatus for forming a shed, as claimed in claim 3, a plurality of said spreader link devices spaced transversely of the loom. 